The secret to original ideas

Kerri Miller's Must-Read

"A Constellation of Vital Phenomena" by Anthony Marra Buy this book I was reading something else in 2013 when everyone was reading Anthony Marra’s unusual and acclaimed novel, so it slipped through the cracks and off of my list. But every time someone would mention how transformative they found this novel, I’d feel a little twinge, like the cool crowd had passed me by. Then, two weeks ago, in the Miami airport as we waited for our plane to Cuba, Dr. Deb Dittberner and I were comparing our favorite novels on our Kindles. The way she described her experience of reading “Constellation” reminded me of how I felt when I read “All the Light We Cannot See.” It’s not just that I recall the story line and the characters, but I remember exactly where I was when I was reading that book, and how it would sidle into my mind at the oddest times. It still does. I’m halfway through “Constellation” and, of course, I can see what all of the raves are about. But I’m writing today more to remind myself that it’s a rare thing when a literary novel becomes a best-selling phenomenon, and I don’t want to miss those books just because I’m always pushing on to the next read on my list. -K.M.

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